


Fate/HC:EX

by Magus_Productions



Category: Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night (Visual Novel), Fate/stay night - All Media Types
Genre: Alternative Servant Classes, Another 5th HGW, Fifth Holy Grail War, Heroics ensue, Hilarity Ensues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2021-01-04 05:55:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21192659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magus_Productions/pseuds/Magus_Productions
Summary: Without the impending incineration of humanity to worry about, a certain Magus was overtaken with two emotions. Sheer mind numbing boredom in the world that was his prison cell, and guilt about what he let happen to his first protege.Mostly boredom, though.





	1. Prologue - Birth of a Superhero

**August XX, 1999**

**Fuyuki City- Emiya Residence **

It all started that day.

As the rain poured, a lone, red-headed boy kneeled in front of a seemingly freshly placed altar in a living room, crying his amber eyes out. The picture frame and bundles of half wilted flowers sitting in front of him left little to imagine about the situation.

Between his sobs, he could be heard murmuring.

“Dad… I promise…”

The boy's voice was filled with grief, yes, but also…

“I’ll be the superhero you wanted to be.”

Determination.

A flash of lightning and the roar of thunder drowned out the boy's sobs for a moment, before the wheels of fate... _turned _another direction.

As he sat there, somberly watching the portrait,he cried, letting out his sorrow and grief.

Before suddenly starting, looking around, as though someone had just spoken to him.

His confused expression slowly gave way to realization, and he nodded.

“Yeah. I… I want to be a hero. I promised my dad.”

There's a few moments of silence, and he nods again, more vigorously.

“Yes! Please teach me! I'll be the best student you've ever had!”

The half-conversation continued on, the boy's mood lightening as it did.

And unseen to him, the flowers on the small altar are joined by another small blossom.


	2. Chapter 1- (K)Night of Fate - Escape - Answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to suggestions from off-site, this chapter has been expanded, the fandoms elaborated on, and commentary added to the end notes. Enjoy.

**February 2nd, 2004**

**Fuyuki City- Emiya Residence**

It's been five years already, I realize as I pull on my shirt.

Glancing in the mirror, there I am. My hair is just as red as it was back then, but I've gained quite a bit of height since then. Even so, it’s still Shirou Emiya staring back at me.

I guess I'd better get cooking. Taiga and Sakura will be here soon, and I don't want to disappoint.

‘_ You really should make a pass at that girl, you know. _ ’ The cheerful, boyish voice I've heard ever since that day rings in my mind. ‘ _ She’s totally into you. _’

“...Master, she obviously doesn't see me like that. She'd have done something if she did.” I sigh, not for the last time today.

_ ‘Your loss. I bet she'd always be down for some _ tantric _ magic.’ _ My mentor’s voice is mirthful and teasing. I ignore it as I head to my kitchen, and set the water boiling.

These last five years ...

I wouldn't say they were what I expected when I agreed to that offer, but my mentor certainly put me through my paces.

My workshop- more realistically my shed, but he kept insisting I call it a workshop- had actually collected a fair amount of esoteric items, useful in ritual magecraft or even some alchemy. ‘A hero is always prepared, and uses whatever tools he has at his disposal’, he said. And with my ineptitude at ordinary magecraft, he encouraged me to try the other branches to see what works. Even having tried all of those, the only things I stood out at was projection and reinforcement- branches considered useless by most mages.

On top of that, he taught me of swordsmanship- ‘_ I mean, you _ could _ chant a spell, but just hitting them is so much easier! _ ’- and diplomacy- ‘ _ Getting the reward you deserve for your deeds means you can keep being a hero- you have to eat sometime. _’.

...In fact, more than anything, he's been an unhelpful, jesting nuisance. But the nuggets of real knowledge he's given me are invaluable, and putting up with his japes, jabs, and ridiculous suggestions is a small price to pay for all the skills he's taught me so far.

By the time I'm finished thinking about things, the three lunches are made, and I've set breakfast on the table.

...Somehow, Sakura managed to slip into my kitchen as I was cooking and I notice that she's made her part of breakfast and is seated already.

“Senpai, I'm sorry I didn't say something.” Her tone is apologetic, and she looks down shyly. “You were so focused on cooking, I didn't want to disturb you.”

“Oh, don't worry about that, Sakura.” I smile. “If anything, that helped me sort some things I was thinking about out. Now all we need to do is wait for Taiga.”

“Shiiiirouuuuuuuu~!” A slam from the entryway shows my big sister figure is well on her way.

* * *

Breakfast is over quickly, with Taiga happily devouring her meal, taking her lunch, and cheerfully running off to get to school early.

Sakura leaves shortly afterwards with her lunch, halting at the door.

“...Senpai, I… might not be by for a while. I’m sorry.” Her expression is sad, but even I can tell I shouldn’t press her for more. “I… I’ve always enjoyed these mornings with you, though.”

Before I can answer, she, too, is out the door with her lunch, on the way to school, leaving me alone in the hallway..

...

_ ‘So, boyo. I’ve got a task for you after you clean things up.’ _ My mentor’s voice echoes through my head, and I barely restrain the sigh. _ ‘Don’t be like that! It’s just cleaning up your _ workshop _ a little, that’s all.’ _

“...Master, the last time you said it would be ‘simple’, you had me put all my effort into winning a single stuffed animal from a crane machine, just for the guest room.” By this point, the dishes are all in the kitchen, and I’m starting to wash them. “The time before, you had me confiscate those… _ magazines _ from Shinji. And you never said what they’re for, or why.”

_ ‘Training, boyo. A true hero can clear any challenge, including seemingly trivial ones.’ _ His reply is lighthearted, and I just shake my head, scrubbing at the next plate.

“And the _ magazines _?”

_ ‘You’re a growing young man, boyo. I figured you’d find a _ use _ for them.’ _ If I could physically see him, I’m sure his eyes would be twinkling at this point, and I can hear the smirk. _ ‘Eventually.’ _

I sigh once more. He won’t tell me, I know. And even though most of what he’s suggested in the past has improved my skills or helped me become more of a hero in appearance, I still have my doubts.

“Is there anything else I should do? Water the garden? Set out dinner early? Make a bouquet?”

_ ‘Nah, just get that circle cleared off in your workshop. You know, the one you found a few months ago?’ _

“...The one you told me to not mess with, because I didn’t know what it did?”

_ ‘Yep! You’re gonna want it tonight, but if I say anymore, it’ll ruin my predictions.’ _ The same excuse he gave the last half dozen times. I sigh. No point arguing anymore.

“Alright, fine. I’ll clear everything off it. Now can I finish cleaning up from breakfast?”

_ ‘Of course! Trust me, Shirou, you’ll want that circle uncovered tonight. I’m going to teach you the single most useful spell you’ll ever learn with it!’ _

Those words bode ill, but… Well, he hasn’t really steered me wrong in magic training so far…

* * *

**February 2nd, 2004 - Night  
**

**Fuyuki City - Homurahara Academy  
**

Shit, shit, shit.

“Master, why didn’t you warn me about this?!” I pant, running through the empty halls of my school, even as I hear the sound of pursuit amid the noises of the night..

The day had gone smoothly, up until the late afternoon. I was already staying late to help Issei with some heaters that were broken, and as I was moving the last one to storage, Ayako showed up, begging me to help her.

Evidently, it was Shinji’s turn to clean up the Archery dojo, and he had ditched like usual. And Ayako needed to be home early, for some family function or another.

‘Thank you so much,’ She said. ‘I’ll treat you to dinner,’ she said.

Dinner that I’m probably not even going to live to collect, since I saw that clash between those two in the schoolyard.

A man in blue robes, spinning a staff like a spear, and throwing balls of flame like every bit the spellcaster I wished to be.

A man in a crimson raiment, cutting and deflecting those flames with truly entrancing swords, replacing the beautiful blades of white and black with new ones every few moments, letting them fade like Projections when they became unusable.

A fight that I stood there watching from behind a chain link fence, hypnotized by the clash of the magic I once dreamed of, and the magic which stands within my reach.

Until a woman’s loud, mocking laugh and the twang of a taut bow being released snapped me from my reverie. The chain fence rattled as I stumbled, drawing the attention of the magus to me as the swordsman was put on the defensive from a hail of crimson darts- a beautiful, but certainly deadly looking sight.

...Leading back to my desperate flight into the school, and once again-

_ ‘Because that wouldn’t have been any fun, boyo!’ _ My master’s voice finally reaches me, and the groan I usually would release is caught up in my panting. _ ‘Relax, you probably won’t die. Just tell him you’re a magus, and he should let you go!’ _

...Right. That’s right. The man in blue is a magus as well. He probably just wants to kill me to keep the secret of magecraft. But if I let him know I’m a spellcaster-

_ —! _

I throw myself to the side, avoiding a bolt of flame, and turn around.

There he is, walking towards me with a smirk.

“Sorry, kid. You just stumbled into something you weren’t supposed to.” He says, tone cocky. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to burn you into nothing, so none of your little friends will know you died.”

“Wait, no! I’m-” I roll to the side, avoiding another bolt of flame.

The school is going to have a field day with that hole in the wall.

“I’m a spellcaster! I know about magecraft already!” I manage to finish, and the blue robed mage stops.

“...’Master’, the kid’s a magus too.” He says, looking up at the sky for a second. “Uh huh. _ Uhhhh huh _.

“Hey, kid. What’s your name?” He looks me straight in the eyes, and I’m stunned that it worked.

“Uh- Shirou! Shirou Emiya!” I say, and I can mentally picture my mentor grinning, giving me a thumbs up.

“...”

There’s silence for a few moments, as the man seems to be in thought.

“...Good news for you, kid. Bossman said to just let you go. If you hurry, you might even be able to summon a Servant to keep one of those two out there from killing you.” His expression changes to a feral looking smirk, and I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

“And call me Caster. Ain’t my True Name, but it’ll do for an introduction.” The emphasis on those words isn’t lost on me, and I manage a nod. “Tell whatever Servant you get that I wanna fight ‘em, too.

“Good luck.”

With that, the man vanishes into thin air,and I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

I scramble to my feet, giving the hole in the wall only a brief glance, and get running out of the school as fast as I can. 

* * *

I’m within a block of my home when _ something _ gives me an uneasy feeling. I throw myself to the side, just as the twang of a bow being loosed echoes. 

The sound of concrete being broken by metal distracts me from the new pain in my arm, and I look around hastily. 

There_ — _

On the roof of a house, the shape of a person is lit by the moon. Straining my ears, I can hear him click his tongue, and-

I’m moving before the next shot is even loosed, hearing it impact the concrete behind me as I break into a run.

Just a bit further, and I’ll be behind my bounded field, safe from-

_ ‘Boyo, this isn’t your average assailant. This is an Assassin, with a capital “A”. He’s baaaaad news.’ _ My mentor helpfully supplies, and I wince as a bolt nicks the back of my neck in the distraction.

‘Not helping, master.’ I think back at him, focusing on reinforcing my legs. Maybe I _ will _ be able to outrun my new attacker, and get behind-

The bolt that passes through my right shoulder sends me tumbling forwards, landing barely in front of my home’s gate. The cry of pain I let loose is bound to attract neighbors. Something I can’t afford.

“Sorry, kid. Looks like you were in the wrong place at the wrong time.” The man lands on the sidewalk down road from me, shaking his head. “...Aren’t you the boy who ran when my Master decided to fight her ‘fated rival’, anyway?

“Whatever. That’s just another reason I need to finish you off now.” Now that he’s under a light, I can see him more clearly. A green hood hides the man’s face, but from the sheer presence he has, I know what I’m facing. Another ‘person’, like the ‘Caster’ earlier. Someone with more presence than anyone else I’ve met before.

“I mean, I was looking for that red bastard, but I was going to be told to clean up the witnesses anyway.”

I’ve got no doubt about it. He’s going to kill me if I can’t escape him. And this time, I won’t be able to talk my way out of it.

I throw myself to my feet, and dash toward the unlocked front gate. Thank you Taiga for being so careless tonight!

The next bolt passes right behind me, going right through the door as I make a break for my she- my workshop, and I hope that whatever my master has planned will help me escape this _ person _ pursuing me.

_ ‘So, when you get in there, get to the circle immediately.’ _ My mentor’s words echo in my head, and I nod silently. _ ‘It’ll handle the heavy lifting, but you'll still need to start the spell. Drop some blood on it, and repeat after me-’ _

The next few seconds are the hardest I've run in my life.

But somehow, I make it, dripping blood from several wounds on the circle as I prime my magic circuits for whatever spell this is.

“_ Amser i ginio! _” I say, letting the hammer slam down in my mind. My arm burns with pain even as I flood the circle with mana, but I'm not sure at this point if it's the wound, the poison coursing through me, or the magic itse-

Wait. _ Poison— _ ?

And then the world goes white with a roar of wind.

* * *

As my senses come back, I realize I've fallen to the ground and prop myself up best I can.

In front of me is another one of those ‘people’, looking down at me.

The first thing I notice is her expression, and how beautiful she is, even as weary looking as it is.

“I ask of you- are you my master?” Her tired voice doesn't quite match the shining emeralds her eyes are, or the determination I see within them.

As I try to figure out what she means, my teacher's laughter echoes through my mind, snapping me from my reverie.

_ ‘Oh wow, that worked even better than I thought!’ _ His voice rings through my head, and I blink. _ ‘Say yes, boyo. And tell her Assassin is after you!’ _

“I— Yes—!” I manage. “There’s an Assassin after me!”

Even as the words leave my mouth, the girl is turning, and I hear the sound of metal striking metal.

One of those projectiles— a crossbow bolt?— lands next to me, sliced in two lengthwise. Even as I watch it, it fades away into that familiar blue light, just like the other man's swords earlier.

“Then I shall eliminate him first. A craven tactic from a blaggard will not claim you, Master.” She says. Her slight frame, while beautiful, seems to belie her true nature as I scarcely followed her movement

Looking past her, I can see the green man crouched on the roof of my house, shaking his head. A strange crossbow is attached to his right arm, unloaded.

“What the hell, kid? If _ you _ were the seventh, why didn't you summon your Servant sooner?” His voice is halfway between awed and annoyed, even as he stands up.

“Well, whatever. My Master's not too happy about this situation herself. Next time, you won't be so lucky.”

With those words, he fades from view, and I see the girl protecting me tense up.

A few moments pass, and the yard remains silent and still.

Whoever that ‘Assassin’ was clearly has fled.

* * *

It takes me a good few minutes before I'm able to stand. The wounds I've taken still hurt, but I can feel them starting to pull themselves shut far quicker than usual.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, and turn to look at my saviour.

The ‘person’- _ girl- _ is slight, wearing a blue armored dress. But despite her looks, I can feel her presence is far greater than that of any of the others I saw tonight. And the feeling of familiarity is unshakeable.

She lets out a sigh herself, and turns to me.

“Master. I believe he truly fled.” Her expression shows some relief, and… Distaste? “Shall we complete the formalities of the contract now?”

“...Eh?”

_ ‘You summoned her, boyo. She’s basically a familiar right now. The contract’s been made, but you still need to make an introduction, and agree to her terms.’ _ My mentor’s words come through to my brain, actually being helpful for a change. _ ‘I mean, not that _ you _ won’t, given who you are, but it’ll make her feel better if you verbally agree to help her.’ _

...Damn him.

“I’m, uh, Shirou Emiya.” I manage to say, after a stunned moment of silence. “I… guess I’m your Master? I did summon you.”

The- _ beautiful _ \- girl grimaces at my introduction. It’s not the smoothest way I’ve introduced myself, but I press on even with my teacher snickering in my head.

“And you saved my life. I’ll be happy to keep my end of the contract, if it’s a good cause.”

There’s a deathly silence as she looks me over, before-

Sighing, and letting the invisible sword disappear into golden motes.

“Very well, Shirou Emiya.” She says, closing her eyes and rubbing the bridge of her nose. “You seem far less craven and dastardly than my previous Master was. I am Servant Saber, and I shall be your sword for the Holy Grail War.”

I tune out my teacher’s chuckling, and nod.

“Thank you.” I manage, getting a strange look from the beauti- Saber- as I nod. “Whoever summoned you last must have been a real villain.”

...Whatever my mentor finds funny must be hilarious, given how his laughter just keeps getting more and more annoyingly loud.

Saber’s expression is a mixture of emotions, but eventually, she sighs, and nods. “That he was, Master. That he was.

“But more importantly, what is your plan for the Holy Grail War?” She says, looking at me firmly. “Are we to move to another location, now? Or are you planning to fortify your wards further?”

My thoughts are racing at the moment- I’m sure my mentor can give me a rundown and let me save face, but even so… He’s said in the past he taught things wrong as a joke, or to help me ‘learn to improvise’.

“...I honestly don’t even know what the Holy Grail War is.” I say, ignoring the ‘_ Awww’ _ echoing in the back of my mind. “My mentor only told me to use that circle when I was in trouble, and-”

The gir- Saber’s blank look says it all. Whatever she was hoping for, I just failed to meet her expectations.

“But don’t worry, I’m a spellcaster! I know how to use magecraft in a fight, and can supply mana!” I rush out. Better not stick my foot in my mouth more than I have to.

“...Very well then, Master. We should head inside, and discuss your abilities and defenses.”

...Somehow, I feel like the discussion is going to be more an interrogation on her part than a dialogue. 

* * *

Fortunately, my prediction was proven wrong, likely due to my mentor’s prior _ insistence _ on diversifying my selection of teas.

While I sit at the dining table, sipping a cup of my usual green tea, Saber is looking somehow completely satisfied with the black tea I was encouraged to keep, and now to prepare for her along with a box of cookies.

_ ‘Trust me, she’ll love it. You’ll be scott free.’ _ He said.

And I somehow was.

The explanation the girl had given me was… Well, less than technical, but enough to give me a general gist of what I’ve found myself in. A fight to the death between heroes and mages, where the winners gain a wish upon an all-powerful magical artifact…

I _ can’t _ let anyone use it for evil. I’ll have to-

“Now, Master,” The soft voice breaks my thoughts, and I look to Saber and her serene expression. “You said you didn’t plan on fighting in the Holy Grail War, specifically. Does your magecraft have any skill at manipulating spiritual bodies in general, though?”

I shake my head. I haven’t even scratched the surface of that.

“No. I’ve tried everything I could, but what I’m best at is just structural magecraft- finding flaws, reinforcement, and projection.” I say, watching her expression. “Aside from that, I’ve had good results from ritual magecraft, but that boils down to being persistent about getting things right.”

The Servant nods, and rubs her chin.

“And are the structures you project strong enough to hold up in a fight? Can you reinforce yourself to increase your speed and strength?” The light in her eyes as she asks the second question is almost blinding, and I pause a moment to take it in.

“...I can reinforce myself somewhat, but I haven’t tried it in a fight. Mostly when I’m moving heavy things, or working on something that could blow up in my face. What I can project is mostly knives, swords, and that kind of thing.” I say, grasping the air as one of my kitchen knives forms in my hand, getting an approving nod from Saber. The drain on my circuits for just this blade barely is noticeable, but I let it evaporate into the blue particles anyway, just to avoid drawing the world’s attention to me further. “They seem to hold up better than Projections should, but I’m not sure why. It’s a lot harder for me to project something that doesn’t have an edge in some way, though.

"And I have a lot of reagents and alchemy materials in my sh- workshop. I've done some good work, but that's just like ritual magecraft is." I finish

“...Interesting, then, Master. Your abilities certainly seem suited towards surviving a fight, at the very least. That leaves me with one question, though.

“How do you feel about guns and explosives?” Her face is set like stone, eyes cold as she watches me.

“I… Don’t think they’re very heroic?” I manage under her glare, and get-

A massive sigh of relief, and a smile.

“Then I think we will work very well together, Shirou _ Emiya _ .”

Her tone when she speaks my last name is… Confusing, and I’m left silent for a few moments as I try to process what this gir- Servant means by that.

“But regardless, Master, a Holy Grail War is a battle for a wish. Seven mages summon Seven Servants, to fight for the Holy Grail and grant their wishes.” She says, pressing on after a few moments. “Based on what happened, I presume I’m not one of the first to be summoned, so we can count on our opponents being better prepared and more knowledgeable than you are.

“Therefore, until I’m certain you’re not susceptible to mind reading magecraft, I believe it to be for the best to not reveal my identity to you, in case you are compromised.”

I pause for a moment, thinking it over. That’s…Reasonable, given how she was questioning me. From what’s been said, finding out who a Servant is would be the first step in defeating them. From what my mentor said, I should be relatively resistant with my magic circuits activated, but-

_ ‘Meh. She’s really Joan of Arc anyway. _ ’ The mirth is obvious in my mentor’s tone, and I push the thought of asking it out of my mind. Besides, Joan of Arc was a farmgirl, not someone with noble bearing like Saber obviously has. _ ‘Ooh, clever boyo. That’s right, she’s Boudica.’ _

I sigh and shake my head, getting an odd look from Saber.

“That’s fair. Most attempts should just slide off me, though. My mentor said that something about my magic traits would make it difficult for mages to read my mind in general, if they aren't him at least.” I manage, thinking back to that question I asked about how he was able to tell what I wanted to say to him without speaking. That smug tone was something I can't forget, even if he didn't take it on constantly when talking to me. “But I can agree that your identity is something we should protect.”

Saber’s expression is one of approval, and she nods.

“Then it is settled. After you and I have worked together for a while, I shall reveal to you my identity.” Her tone is steady, yet somehow relieved sounding. Whatever she may wish to hide, it’s probably quite personal.

A few more minutes are spent discussing various minutia of the Holy Grail War- how I can evaluate a Servant's statistics, the amount of energy she expects she'll need for fighting, and what we made of Assassin's abilities, among other things- but eventually the tea I've brewed and the snacks provided run out, and I can feel the day catching up to me.

I'm thankfully able to make it to my bedroom before I fall asleep, dreaming of swords once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Servant Saber  
True Name- UNKNOWN   
_You're right, she doesn't have the_ assests _to be Boudica._  
Alignment- Lawful Good
> 
> STR- B+  
END- B  
AGL- B  
MANA- B+  
LCK- A+  
NP- A  
_Great news, boyo! You've got mana to fuel her, and an_ excellent _compatibility. Make sure to take advantage of that when you can!_
> 
> Class Skills  
Magic Resistance- A  
Riding- B
> 
> Personal Skills  
Charisma- B  
Instinct- A  
Mana Burst- A
> 
> Noble Phantasms  
Invisible Air - Anti-Unit - C  
_Whatever handsome devil of a magus did a great job making this barrier for her. It keeps her sword completely hidden, disguising the length and pattern of it._
> 
> ??? - Anti-Fortress - A++  
_Made by a she-devil. Never trust that sort of woman, boyo._


End file.
